Looking for Truth in Onaway

  A while ago, spurred by the actions of some on our school board, I stood up at a meeting and proposed that board members and anyone running for election this fall should pledge to refrain from name-calling and insults.  It was my own idea; no one else knew I was planning to do it. I thought, in my silly, logical way, that things might go better if people took control of themselves and behaved with civility. That night three board members, Jeremy Veal, Annette Porter, and Mike Hart, immediately signed. Two people who had announced they'd be running for the board, Taed Price and Lain Veihl, also agreed to remain civil. (I should mention that at that point, some of the current candidates had not yet attended a board meeting, namely Jim Gibson, Joe Bonnard, and Tom Moran, so they might not have heard the proposal.) The next time the board met, I stood again at citizens' time and asked if the others would sign. Board member Lorrie Kowalski did. No one else spoke. In fact, Erin Cha

 I attended the candidate forum Sunday evening, and here are my thoughts. First, the organization that put on the event was great. Up North Advocacy works to inform and assist communities in northern Lower Michigan and the eastern U.P. They have provided Onaway School District voters with advice and support over the past two years, helping to define what is legal for a school board to do, what is ethical behavior for school board members, and helping to assure that Onaway's board acts legally and ethically. Second, the moderators, Community Mediation Services, were also great. They were completely neutral while being encouraging and supportive. Now the candidates. Four did not attend: Jim Rieger, Joe Bonnard, Kathy Christian, and Sherri LaFave. They announced on Facebook that the event was "woke," so they will be having their own. I addressed that in an earlier post, but their decision tells me all I need to know about how they plan to operate if elected, so NO to them. B

Today, September 22nd, is the date for the candidate forum for Onaway Area Schools board candidates (7:00-8:30 pm at the school). An organization called Up North Advocacy has arranged the evening, with a host from outside the community to ensure objectivity. Candidates were informed of the date with plenty of notice. They were assured they would not be subjected to harassment. While the audience can submit questions in writing, they can't say who'll be asked a specific one, so no candidate can become the target of "gotcha" questions. Every attempt will be made to give candidates the chance to tell the voters what their priorities are. Sadly, a group of candidates will not be there tonight. Here's part of their Facebook post: We, James Rieger, John Palmer, Lorrie Kowalski, Joe Bonnard, Sheri LaFave, and Kathleen Christian are writing this to inform the community as a group, we will not be attending the meeting that is being held, by the Up North Advocacy. Ma